Right-wing "24" creator Joel Surnow will produce mini-series about the Kennedy family

[meegbear]

The man responsible for trying to make torture a moral imperative for America now gets the opportunity to produce an eight-hour miniseries about the Kennedy family.

Joel Surnow is swapping “real time” political intrigue for historical realism. The “24″ co-creator is executive producing “The Kennedys,” an eight-hour miniseries about one of America’s most iconic political families, for the History Channel. Unlike “24,” however, “The Kennedys” will be as historically accurate as possible and not feature any gimmickry.

“We’re not trying to be too clever about it,” said Surnow, who developed the project with Muse Entertainment for the Network. “We’re just telling the story on an episode by episode basis.”

Surnow says he and series writer Steve Kronish were most interested in cobbling together a dynastic story about family ambition. “That some of the most important events of the 20th century, such as the Bay of Pigs or the civil rights movement, is in the background, is almost besides the point,” he said. Focusing on the idea of a father living out his ambitions through his sons (”primarily Jack and Bobby, though Teddy was in the mix”), the series — which Surnow likens more to a season of the “Sopranos” than a traditional miniseries — will take place between the years of 1960 and 1968, but with plenty of flashbacks, such as Joe Sr. being rejected by a Harvard club.

He's not a partisan hack at all. He simply makes the case that the Kennedys are just like the Sopranos, who made sure to whack as many people after they ate their cannolis and espresso as possible.

He also decries anyone who may try to tie his conservative politics into the project. “My politics have never guided my interest in stories and movies,” he said. “I completely understand where critics are coming from, because of my creating the ‘1/2 Hour News Hour’ show for Fox News and the issue over torture on ‘24.’ But it’s honestly not going to have much play in terms of where this story comes out. Steve Kronish is politically different from me, and at the end of the day, we’re telling a story about a family. So it’s not about the politics.” (Fox News is owned by News Corp, as is the Wall Street Journal.)

Now why would we think Surnow is a right-wing hack simply for creating a TV show that had to scale back the amount of torture he depicted and a comedy show for FOX News that attacked progressives and Democrats entirely.



Using Limbaugh and Coulter as your stars was just in good fun for Joel.

How stupid are we to
think his politics would ever seep into this production?

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/right-wing-24-creator-joel-surnow-will

[graywarrior]

1. Remember how they shut down the broadcast of the Reagan film?

[meegbear]

4. I remember that ...

the History Channel generally leans to the right, so it'll play.

[graywarrior]

9. Oh yeah, they'll play it.

Doesn't seem to matter what the rest of the country believes in, the right wing has taken control of all communication in this country.

[hlthe2b]

2. Seems like Kiefer and his Dad, Donald ought to have had some

impact on this moron.... if they tried....:shrug:

[virgogal]

7. $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$

[Bill219]

3. according to AICN, things have changed as of Monday

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/43369


Right-Winger Surnow Not Scripting THE KENNEDYS, Which Is Now The History Channel’s First Miniseries Drama!!


The History Channel just greenlit the project as an 8-hour miniseries, but now the entire project will be scripted by “24” vet Stephen Kronish, who describes himself as a liberal.

[meegbear]

5. Thanks for the update!

That sounds more like it!

[PM Martin]

6. I am sure this will be objective.

:puke:

[T Wolf]

8. This farce needs to be targeted with extreme prejudice, starting now, so that it never sees the

airwaves (or cable).

Anyone connected in any way with the project also needs to be targeted for sanctions.

Some may say that it is not important, but the total control of media by the reich wing has proven to be one of their most valuable assets in the current war. To ignore this project simply because it is "only a tv show" shows incredible ignorance to the impact they have been having by controlling the messages put out by the media - to all our detriment.